What else? Eating out!

I think the holidays are a nice time to splurge and eat out a little extra. This year was no exception. First at Parallel 33. I heard some great things about it from my favorite food message board and elsewhere so it topped our list of places to hit. Had drinks and started with the Ahi Poke appetizer. You get three stacks, cubes really, on thin crackers. Very tasty. Like so many places, you could probably eat quite nicely sharing a few starters – but we moved on to entrees. Mrs. Scott got the Grilled Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast with Sweet Potato Gnocchi (as listed on the website menu) while I had a special not listed on the menu: Rock Fish with seasonal vegetables. Both were very good. Yet, since it has a little neighborhood restaurant feel to it, prices seem a bit high, nearing 30 bucks for an entrée (I think one was $27, the other $28), but who is to put a price on good food? (Yet, drinks and starter courses seem reasonably priced.) We’d certainly go back, no doubt, but we always like to try new (to us) places so it might be awhile.

Also went to Roy’s (first time) last week. Again, similar pricing as expected. We started with drinks and a small sashimi plate. Entrées for her were the scallops and shrimp combo, and for me, a two fish combo. I seem to remember they had cutesy names for the combos. My fish was ono and, um, oprah? We jokingly called it the Uma and Oprah plate. (You’d have to remember the Letterman hosted Oscar’s to get that one.) Both nicely prepared. We actually passed on dessert for whatever reasons (probably the overload of candy over the holidays.) They do have a lava cake or molten chocolate dessert that surely would be tasty. Also, they have a 3-course prix fixe menu for $33 that probably is a slight value…? Or maybe a pretty good value? Starters include Shrimp on a Stick, Spiced Baby Back Pork Ribs and a Chef's special creation with a choice of main courses like Charbroiled Shortribs, Grilled Salmon or Steak, or Nut Crusted Mahi Mahi. And of course that hot melting dessert. Next time!

This last weekend we had a couple of cheaper eats. First at a sushi place nearly in the neighborhood (short drive) called Sushiya. Been meaning to stop in as it seems busy every time we drive by. We had a shrimp dumpling starter that I would pass on, a variety plate of sushi (part of a combo so it came with soup and salad) that my wife thought was tasty, and finally a spicy turn roll that was excellent. Sushiya has no website that I can find, but it is in Rancho Penasquitos right on the corner of the Stater Bros. Shopping center. Nice to see a busy restaurant here (the previous was a pizza place that always seemed dead), by the time we left there were 15 or 20 people waiting outside to eat. They have signs that mention 50% off, but it wasn’t totally clear and totally forgot about it once we sat. We’ll be returning soon, I’m sure, to find out more! (The Sushiya menu does mention 3 other locations, all northern SD coastal areas.)

Also after work one day, I took the long way home and found Joey’s Smokin’ BBQ in a newish shopping center in Carmel Valley. (They also have a Carlsbad location.) I had a trio of ribs (their sampler of Sweet Ribs, Dry Rubbed Ribs and Wet Ribs (which is similar to the sweet ribs, just with mildly spicy sauce.)) Sadly, I didn’t grow up eating ribs weekly or even monthly, honestly the best thing I know is Tony Roma’s, so I don’t really have any preconceived notions what makes up an incredible rib, but I do like them. They do say they are slowly smoked over hickory wood. I’d go again, I liked the dry rubbed the least and oddly I couldn’t quite tell the difference between the wet and the sweet sauces, but I know I liked one the best. Next time I go I’ll just get a full slab of the wet and hope that is my favorite. (I also picked up a ½ pound of beef brisket that I wasn’t too impressed with.)

Dang. No pictures. This doesn’t seem complete without pictures. But I rarely carry my digital camera around. I think for restaurant week blog talk I’ll just make do with a cell phone camera. (Sidenote: I’ve also been told that on Dec. 8th I should have been writing “Random Food Scraps” not “Scrapes”, the error has been corrected!)

We didn’t make it to any of the $20.06 Cohn meal deals yet, we had a Kemo reservation, but cancelled, now I’ll made a Dakota reservation for later this week. Has anyone been to any of them? Seems like they have similar menus for restaurant week but cheap now. (Note, for Kemo Sabe, after I posted last week, I saw that they have you sharing the starter and dessert.)

One last meal deal to mention. (You know how I like a deal if you have been reading my blog.) Direct from a Fresh restaurant email (in La Jolla) comes this one: "FRESH Anniversary Celebration - January 30th Join us in celebrating the 3rd anniversary of FRESH Seafood Restaurant & Bar on Monday, January 30th. Enjoy our full menu at half-price and live entertainment beginning at 6 pm." Of course, they have the 4 to 6pm deal daily (small plates, half off) which always seems more interesting than one large plate since you'd order 3 small plates per person. Thoughts?

And of course, the fish was opah – I don’t believe I have had it before. Mild.